Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-01-28

A SHOWING cHIcA- the ashes of its prea,
COS DRAINAGE AND conlagration, as was
THE HENNEPIN SO freely predicted il
CANAL. would lie ANA !
think you will admit that it is a pretty fair
city which our people have built on top OF
the mud and above the ashes.e
1Yes." said my friend, who was gazing
intently at the water a few feet below the
bridge, "but how is a city like this drained,
Where do you get your waterp
Very natural questions these were too. For
reply to the latter query. l pointed to Lake
Michigan, no more than half a mile away.
where the masts of many vessels and the topy
OF two lighthouses were visible.
You get your water supply from the great
lake whieb,iies at your feet, tiere2 And you
pour your drainage into this river, and this
river empties into the same lake whence your
water supply comes. Queer taste you Chicago
ans nave Being a Prohibitionist. | don't
think ! should like TO live in Chicago
But l babe my friend reserve his spcers nm.
I'll ne mad learned more. Taking n piece oil
paper tbrewit in the river. beneath and
asked him to watch it. He was presentlv
astoundea to observe that the piece of paner
hoated slowly away from the lake.
"NFhatl' he exclaimed, doesn't Chicnpo
river empty into Lake Michiganp
mo, indeed, and that simple fact EXPLAINS
9 good many. things. Did yon ever think
what a unique engineering problem this Is,
A city hliit q few feet above the level
OF . cliTentleSs river and q tideless
lake. Into tho one the drainage must
ne turned, and from the other the water sun
ply taken. But that piece OF paper there.
slowly floating westward, is the KEY to the
situation. it happens, luckily for Chicago.
That the divide between the Lake Michigan
water shed, and that of the Gulf of Mexico. is
but fifteen miles from the lake. Through
that divide the Illinois canal was cut many
years ago to the Illinois river, which trayerses
nearly the whcle length of the state, and
finally mingles with the waters of the Missis-
sippi at historic Alton. This canal was Chi
eago's salvation. By deepening its channel
She was able to change the course Of nature.
and send the waters OF Lake Michigan trick
ling through canal and rivers to the Gulf OF
Mexico. In other words, audacious Chicago
has made the Mississippi river her backdoor
gutter, and the great gulf her cesspool. BY
sending her sewage to the west and south she
keeps sweet and clean the waters Of the great
iake at her feet, and thus insures the purity of
ner water supply. So you see, my friend,
that Chicago has in her time solved several
IN ouo IOuUQ q way TO
lift herself out Of the mud, she rose from her
ashes, and she has made the great Father Of
Waters her servant. Chicago is no SLOUGH;
that you're bound to admit.n
My friend was amazed. He, like a good
many other people. had heard something of
Chicago's drainage flowing into the Mississip-
pi river, but the case having never been
plainly and intelligibly stated to him, he had
paid little attention to IL.
REALLY, = he said, II am much interested.
aBut is this canal big enough to carry of the
drainage of oil Chicago and vicinityT
mo, it is not, in its present condition. Aud
we now haveFa commission of high priced
experts at work seeking the best means of en-.
larging the capacity of the drainage channel.
1t is estimated that NJ expenditure OF three or
millions OF money will do it, and in case the
HennePin CANA is constructed 1t may be
utilized not only for floating ships from the
Gulf Of Mexico to Lake Michigan, but for
carrying Chicago's drainage In the other di-
rection. ! think that If the truth were
known 1t would be found that Ghicago,s chief
anxiety to have the government dig that
canal lies iH its desire to solve the drai,,ara
problem forever and ever. Chicago may be